Air France's frequent flyer program, Flying Blue, is a great way to earn miles while flying with Air France, KLM, and their partner airlines.
If you're looking to travel more or upgrade your experience, then Flying Blue is the perfect loyalty program for you.
In this article, we'll explore the various ways you can earn Flying Blue miles, from flying with Air France to shopping with program partners. We'll also dive into how you can redeem your miles for flights, upgrades, and other exciting rewards. Additionally, we'll discuss a unique way to cash in your miles by selling them. Whether you're a seasoned Flying Blue member or just starting, this guide will help you make the most out of your loyalty program membership.
The Flying Blue Program Explained
Air France’s Flying Blue program enables you to earn miles whenever you fly on its own planes or with multiple partners including:
- KLM
- Joon
- HOP!
- Transavia
- Kenya Airways
- TAROM
- SkyTeam
- Alaska Airlines
- Japan Airlines
As with most other frequent flyer programs, Flying Blue incorporates a number of different levels to progress through. You begin as an Explorer but can graduate to Silver, Gold and Platinum levels as you continue to fly with Air France or its partners.
Flying Blue is a pretty impressive program as it allows you to earn miles by traveling around the world, far beyond France itself. This suits those affected by real wanderlust, business travelers and casual customers alike.
How to Earn Flying Blue Miles
You can earn Air France Flying Blue miles by taking flights on any of the partners mentioned above (as well as Air France itself, of course), by staying in certain hotels and on extras like extra-baggage allowance or seat upgrades.
Earning miles is based on the booking class earning a percentage, the distance of your flights and the Elite bonus earning a percentage (if this actually applies in your specific case). Customers who are Flying Blue Elite members will qualify for Elite bonus miles on flights with SkyTeam partners.
The main ways to earn Flying Blue miles are:
- Flying with Air France: You can earn miles for flights you take with Air France or any of its SkyTeam partners. The number of miles you earn will depend on the distance you fly, your travel class, and your membership level.
- Credit card spending: You can earn miles by using your Flying Blue credit card (American Express credit card) for your purchases.
- Shopping and other partners: You can earn miles by shopping with Air France partners, such as Marriott and Hilton hotels, car rentals, and other merchants.
- Transfers from other loyalty programs: You can transfer points or miles from other loyalty programs to your Flying Blue account.
- Promotions: Air France often runs promotions that allow you to earn bonus miles for specific activities, such as booking flights during a certain period or using a specific credit card.
Flying Blue's gamification - Earn XP (Experience Points)
Flying Blue also incorporates a touch of gamification too: you earn XP (Experience Points) as you spend money, and reaching XP milestones will take you to a higher level. For example, 100 XP elevates you to Silver status, 180 XP unlocks Gold and 300 XP ups your rank to Platinum.
Gamers will recognize XP from various types of games, from RPGs and fighters to sports titles. Adding Experience Points helps to reinforce the sense of progression and achievement Flying Blue members feel.
How to Redeem your Flying Blue Miles
Air France enables you to redeem your Flying Blue miles by simply going online and choosing the flight that suits you. The airline tends to have strong availability, but as usual, you may not always be able to take the flights you’d like to on your award tickets.
The Air France website makes it easy to understand how the Flying Blue program operates and what benefits you can expect at each level.
At The Miles Market, you can sell your miles rather than redeeming them. This is a terrific way to claim a reward for your loyalty even if you can’t find a flight that works for you or don’t have the time to travel.
You’ll get real cash for your miles and someone else will be able to enjoy them instead!
